Remember the Past

Chapter13

By the time I wake up it's light out. I don't know how long I had slept, but we're still on the road. I try to sit up but I am quickly reminded of my injuries as I bite back the excruciating pain that overtakes my right elbow and shoulder.

He hears me and give me a concerned look.

I blink away my grogginess and gently stretch my body to see how I feel. As I suspected, I'm sore everywhere.

I glance down at myself. I am still in my grey school uniform. There are tiny blood stained rips all over me from the broken glass and falling into the bushes. I'm roll up my grey leggings to reveal blue and green bruises covering my right knee and my left ankle is even more swollen than yesterday.

Colin looks at me again and smiles. "I'm glad you're awake. I was getting awfully tired of talking to myself."

I smile. I would laugh, but it would hurt to much.

"Do have a change of clothes for me?" I know it's not what I should have started with, but that's what was on my mind.

"I think so. Are you hungry? You didn't eat last night and you've been asleep for nearly fifteen hours."

I'm surprised that I could sleep that long.

I look out the window. I notice that we are now following a dirt road. The sun is shining. The sun. I have never been in direct sunlight. I'm sure my complection shows it.

Colin went out of our way to find a gas station. I'm surprised that he is able to find one in the middle of nowhere.

We stop. Colin starts to pump gas and He hands me a bag to find clothes in. Before I turn to head into the gas station, he grabs my right hand oddly gently. He looks in my eyes and says, "You have to hide this."

He turns my hand over. I wince at the shooting pain. "Sorry." He is quick to say.

He is talking about my tattoo. Every student has a tattoo. It is different for every district. It is a curved navy blue curved leaf, I think that's what it is. It has eighteen circles on the rim. Each year a circle gets filled in. There is a line running up the center of the leave. I'm told that it will be filled in after we get our jobs.

I nod. He releases my hand and I walk into the building. I find the girls bathroom and lock the door.

I unzip the bag. After minutes of searching, I find black leggings with red and fuschia roses up the side and a black form fitting tank top. I put my old grey clothes in the bag. I feel bad putting them in the bag when they are still damp from rain, but I don't have any other choice.

When I exit the bathroom I see Colin waiting for me. He wears a hunter green short sleeve shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He has a fabric backpack slung over one shoulder. It looks more full than before, but I know not to mention it while we're in the gas station. I follow him out.

He got us more food. I eat a fresh apple as we head back on the road.

I watch scenery roll by. I notice that the car is beginning to heat up from the sun. "It's getting hot in here."

Colin nods. "THe air conditioner doesn't work." Like I'd know what that is. "Here, I'll open your window."

I jump as my window makes a loud noise and begins to lower. I feel a breeze hit my face. It sends my hair flying and I laugh. This is new to me. I put my hand out the window, ignoring the pain. I never knew that wind was so powerful. I play with it, making my hand into a fist and lifting it up and down. Next I open my hand. I feel the wind pushing back on my hand. I open and close my fingers. I can feel the difference in the winds pull. Then I turn my fingers into the wind. I tilt my fingers up and down and the wind sends them soaring.

I can't keep a grin off my face. I'm sure I look utterly childish, but I don't care. Amused, I rest my arm out the window.

I turn to face Colin. He's watching me with a smile on his face. "Do you and the wind need a minute." He teases.